National leader

Explore 818 quotes by National leaders

In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time.

Abraham Lincoln

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Topic

God's favor

Author

Abraham Lincoln

Source

Journals of Abraham Lincoln

Medium

Personal journal

Language

English

Time

1862 1860s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. Fragment written by Abraham Lincoln but found after his death by John Hay. c. 2 Sept. 1862?

Current Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "Meditation on the Divine Wall, c. early September 1862." Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859-1865, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher. Library of America, 1989.

In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free—honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last, best hope of earth.

Abraham Lincoln

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Topic

Slavery Freedom

Speaker

Abraham Lincoln

Source

Second Annual Message to Congress

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1862 1860s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. Second Annual Message to Congress. 1 Dec. 1862, US Congress, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

Current Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862." Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859-1865, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher. Library of America, 1989.

Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and show the whole world, that a Freeman contending for Liberty on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth.

George Washington

Read this speech at the National Archives website

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Topic

American Revolution

Author

George Washington

Source

General Orders

Language

English

Time

1776 1770s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Washington, George. General orders. 2 July 1776, Newburgh, NY, USA.

Current Citation

Washington, George. "General Orders, July 2, 1776." George Washington: Writings, edited by John Rhodehamel. Library of America, 1997.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

John F. Kennedy

More information about this quote

Topic

Reform vs. revolution Reform Revolution Political progress Politics

Speaker

John F. Kennedy

Source

Speeches of John F. Kennedy

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1977 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Kennedy, John F. Address on the First Anniversary of the Alliance for Progress. 13 Mar. 1977, State Dining Room, The White House, Washington, DC, USA.

Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

Donald Trump

Inaugural Address of Donald Trump

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Topic

American decline American politics

Speaker

Donald Trump

Source

Inaugural Address of Donald Trump Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

2017 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Trump, Donald. "Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 2017, West Front, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.

Ronald Reagan

Joke made during a microphone check prior to a scheduled radio address.

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Topic

Cold War

Author

Ronald Reagan

Statement Type

Political joke Joke

Language

English

Time

1984 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Reagan, Ronald. Joke during microphone check prior to weekly radio address. 11 Aug. 1984, Rancho del Cielo, California, USA.

It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

George W. Bush

Second Inaugural Address of George W. Bush

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Topic

American foreign policy Spread of freedom and democracy

Speaker

George W. Bush

Source

Second Inaugural Address of George W. Bush Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

2005 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Bush, George W. "Second Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 2005, West Front, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

Necessity hath no law.

Oliver Cromwell

More information about this quote

Topic

Morality as luxury Desperation Causes of crime Crime Law and poverty

Speaker

Oliver Cromwell

Source

Speech to the First Protectorate Parliament (Speech)

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1654 1650s 17th century

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Cromwell, Oliver. Speech to the First Protectorate Parliament. 12 Sept. 1654, London, England, UK.

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because as has been said, it is the quality which guarantees all others.

Winston Churchill

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Topic

Courage

Author

Winston Churchill

Language

English

Time

1937 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Unlucky Alfonso." Collier’s, 27 June 1931.

State a moral case to a ploughman and a professor. The former will decide it as well, and often better than the latter, because he has not been led astray by artificial rules.

Thomas Jefferson

Read this letter at the National Archives website

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Topic

Populism Salt of the earth

Author

Thomas Jefferson

Medium

Letter

Language

English

Time

1787 1780s 18th century

Era

American Revolutionary Period

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to Peter Carr. 10 Aug. 1787.

Current Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. "Peter Carr, Aug. 10, 1787." The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Including the Autobiography, The Declaration of Independence & His Public and Private Letters, edited by Adrienne Koch and William Peden. Modern Library, 1998.

To correct the evils, great and small, which spring from want of sympathy and from positive enmity, among strangers, as nations or as individuals, is one of the highest functions of civilization.

Abraham Lincoln

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Read the full text of this speech at umich.edu

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Topic

Rule of law Purpose of government Political theory Politics Government

Speaker

Abraham Lincoln

Source

Speech to the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1859 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "Address Before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin." 30 Sep. 1859, Milwawkee, WI, USA.

Current Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "Address to the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September 30, 1859." Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859-1865, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher. Library of America, 1989.

The defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places.

James Madison

Federalist 51

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Topic

Checks and balances Separation of powers Political theory Politics

Author

James Madison

Source

Federalist 51 The Federalist Papers

Medium

Essay

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1788 1780s 18th century

Era

American Revolutionary Period

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Madison, James [published as Publius]. "Federalist No. 51, The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments." New York Packet, 8 Feb. 1788.

Current Citation

Madison, James. "No. 51: How to maintain: make the parts check each other. Also, a federal system divides power further.--Madison (or Hamilton)." The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States, edited by Robert Scigliano. The Modern Library, 2001.

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt

More information about this quote

Topic

Taking risks Courage Success Failure

Speaker

Theodore Roosevelt

Source

The Strenuous Life (speech) Speeches of Theodore Roosevelt

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1899 1890s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Roosevelt, Theodore, Jr. "The Strenuous Life." Hamilton Club of Chicago meeting. 10 Apr. 1899, Chicago, IL, USA.

Current Citation

Roosevelt, Theodore, Jr. "The Strenuous Life." Selected Speeches and Writings of Theodore Roosevelt, edited by Gordon Hutner. Vintage, 2014.

In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.

James Madison

Federalist 51

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More information about this quote

Topic

Constitutional theory Checks and balances Political theory Politics

Author

James Madison

Source

Federalist 51 The Federalist Papers

Medium

Essay

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1788 1780s 18th century

Era

American Revolutionary Period

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Madison, James [published as Publius]. "Federalist No. 51, The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments." New York Packet, 8 Feb. 1788.

Current Citation

Madison, James. "No. 51: How to maintain: make the parts check each other. Also, a federal system divides power further.--Madison (or Hamilton)." The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States, edited by Robert Scigliano. The Modern Library, 2001.

Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.

Ronald Reagan

More information about this quote

Topic

Welfare Safety net American politics

Speaker

Ronald Reagan

Source

The Los Angeles Times

Medium

Interview Newspaper

Language

English

Time

1970 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Reagan, Ronald. Interview. Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 1970.

I hate it because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world—enables the enemies of free institutions, with plausibility, to taunt us as hypocrites—causes the real friends of freedom to doubt our sincerity.

Abraham Lincoln

On slavery.

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Topic

Slavery

Speaker

Abraham Lincoln

Source

The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the Property of its Restoration

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1854 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the Property of its Restoration: Speech in Reply to Senator Douglas." 16 Oct. 1854, Peoria, IL, USA.

Current Citation

Lincoln, Abraham. "Speech on the Kansas-Nebraska Act at Peoria, Illinois, October 16, 1854." Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher. Library of America, 1989.

We're too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams. We're not, as some would have us believe, doomed to an inevitable decline.

Ronald Reagan

First Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan

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Topic

American decline America

Speaker

Ronald Reagan

Source

First Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1981 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Reagan, Ronald. "First Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 1981, West Front, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

In every land there are always at work forces that drive men apart and forces that draw men together. In our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic and political progress as a nation, we all go up, or else we all go down, as one people.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Second Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Topic

Individualism

Speaker

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Source

Second Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1937 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin D. "Second Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 1937, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

Current Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin D. "Second Inaugral Address: Washington, DC, January 20, 1937." Great Speeches, edited by John Grafton. Dover, 1999.

Dictionaries are but the depositories of words already legitimated by usage. Society is the work-shop in which new ones are elaborated. When an individual uses a new word, if illformed it is rejected in society, if well-informed, adopted, and, after due time, laid up in the depository of dictionaries.

Thomas Jefferson

More information about this quote

Topic

Meaning of words Words Language

Author

Thomas Jefferson

Medium

Letter

Genre

Political writing

Language

English

Time

1820 1820s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to John Adams. 15 Aug. 1820.

Current Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. "John Adams, Aug. 15, 1820." The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Including the Autobiography, The Declaration of Independence & His Public and Private Letters, edited by Adrienne Koch and William Peden. Modern Library, 1998.

What is our policy?... To wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.

Winston Churchill

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Topic

World War II

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat." House of Commons meeting. 13 May 1940, The Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK. Address.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat." Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Great Speeches, edited by David Cannadine. Penguin Classics, 2007.